Stade Français ended English involvement in the Amlin Challenge Cup with an impressive 36-20 victory at Bath but the win was soured after the scrum-half Jérôme Fillol spat at his opposite number Peter Stringer.

Waisea Vuidravuwalu scored two of Stade's four tries, and helped lay on the other two for the full-back Hugo Bonneval, with Jules Plisson, Fillol and replacement Jérôme Porical all contributing points through the boot.

Bath secured a penalty try and consolation scores from replacements Michael Claassens and Jack Cuthbert, while Stephen Donald kicked five points, but it was nowhere near being enough as the home side were outclassed.

However, the blot on Stade's performance came in a first-half incident between the two No 9s. The pair had already exchanged words once, but then clashed again before a 25th-minute scrum. Nothing untoward was seen by the referee Nigel Owens and his assistants at the time, but replays of the incident have emerged showing Fillol spitting straight in Stringer's face.

Speaking after the game, the former Ireland scrum-half said: "It is a bit raw at the moment, but it happened on the pitch and there is no place in the game for it. That's as low as you can probably go. When you are on the end of something like that you are rattled by it but try not to dwell on it. It's out of my hands now."

Fillol is almost certain to be cited, given the damning nature of the video footage, and could face a lengthy ban. PA